PSY 240, Ch. 7 - Persuasion

Persuasion

the process by which a message induces change in beliefs, attitudes, or behavior

Persuasion is a change in _____, _____, or _____ as a result of a message. (Select all that apply)

a. behaviors

b. counterargument

c. beliefs

d. attitudes

a, b, & d - behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes

Audiences will use the ____ route when they are paying close attention to the value of the message.

a. attitude

b. central

c. peripheral

d. motivation

b - central

By mildly attacking a message, resistance is built against later, potentially stronger attacks. This is called attitude ______.

inoculation

Perceived trustworthiness increases when the communicator _____.

a. talks slowly

b. does not make eye contact

c. argues for his/her own interest

d. is not perceived as trying to persuade

d - not perceived as trying to persuade

The principle of _______ explains why we like people and are influenced by people who are like us

similarity!!!! (NOT attractiveness)

When persuasion involves a matter of personal value, _____ communicators have more influence, but when persuasion involves a matter of fact, _______ communicators have more influence.

a. logical; spontaneous

b. similar; dissimilar

c. dissimilar; similar

d. spontaneous; logical

b - similar communicators influence personal values; dissimilar communicators influence matters of fact

What two audience traits influence persuasion? (Select all that apply)

a. Thoughtfulness

b. Courageousness

c. Age

d. Jealousy

a & c - thoughtfulness and age

An attractive communicator is one who _____. (Select all that apply)

a. is likeable

b. appeals to the audience

c. is message discrepant

d. talks fast

a & b - is likeable and appeals to the audience

______ is a communicator's ability to appear authoritative and trustworthy.

Credibility

_____ people are not as easily persuaded b/c they think more before reacting.

a. extroverted

b. happy

c. optimistic

d. unhappy

d - unhappy

Communicators gain credibility if they appear to be ______. (Select all that apply)

a. Inconsistent

b. Trustworthy

c. An expert

d. Argumentative

b & c - trustworthy and an expert

_____-arousing messages can be effective if they make the audience feel vulnerable but can take protective action

Fear-arousing

Serena was introduced as earning a PhD in the topic of discussion with various peer reviewed publications. This gives Serena ______.

perceived expertise

Which of the following are channels of communication? (Select all that apply)

a. face-to-face

b. writing

c. film

d. cognition

a, b, & c - face-to-face, writing, and film

Audiences will use the _______ route when they do not have the time or motivation to listen to a message.

a. central

b. peripheral

b - peripheral

The _______ explanation of attitude change states that as we age, we hold on to earlier attitudes, but that these attitudes are often different from younger people's beliefs.

generational

If your audience will be exposed to opposing views, offer a(n) ________ appeal.

a. opposing

b. two-sided

c. one-sided

two-sided

High need for cognition individuals prefer to _______. (Select all that apply)

a. use the central route

b. use the peripheral route

c. think carefully

d. focus on pace of speech

a & c - use the central route and think carefully

A(n) _________ is an argument against the given message.

counterargument

In terms of the ingredients to persuasion, the question of "who says what" represents which two elements of communication? (Select all that apply)

a. the communicator

b. the message itself

c. the method of communication

d. the audience

a & b - the communicator (who) says the message itself (what)

Linda's personal commitment to education would probably be heightened the most by __________.

a. publicly announcing her donations

b. taking a picture of an empty classroom

c. writing her commitment in her diary

d. anonymously donating money to the cause

a - publicly announcing her donations

The _____ effect occurs when information is presented first and has more influence on the audience than the information that is presented later.

primacy

The way a message is delivered (for example a face-to-face appeal) is called the ________ of communication.

channel

Which of the following are the two most influential bases of attractiveness? (Select all that apply)

a. Scarcity

b. Sense of humor

c. physical attractiveness

d. similarity

c & d - physical attractiveness and similarity

_____ often enhance persuasion partly by linking positive thinking and positive emotions with the message.

Good feelings

The idea that attitudes change as we age follows the ________ cycle explanation of attitude change.

life-cycle

The _______ flow of communication is the process by which media information flows through an opinion leader who then influences others.

two-step

______ is having qualities that appeal to an audience.

Attractiveness

The recency effect

occurs when information presented last has more influence on the audience (compared to earlier presented info)

Mae decided that a reason-based argument would be best to persuade her audience; her audience is probably ________. (Select all that apply)

a. well-educated

b. uninvolved

c. central route based

d. peripheral route based

e. analytical

a, c, & e - well-educated, central route based, and analytical

The recency effect is most effective when _____. (Select all that apply)

a. time separates the messages

b. the 2nd message occurs right after the 1st

c. the audience commits soon after the 2nd message

d. the audience is more convinced by the first message

a & c

When the message is message is reason based and requires time and thought, the persuasion route used is the _____ route.

central

If a message is based on emotion and the attractiveness of the communicator, the persuasion route used is the ________ route.

peripheral

An example of the _____ effect is our inability to remember the source of a message after time has passed, and thus the message becomes more persuasive with time

sleeper

Which of the following scenarios represent the foot-in-door technique in relation to cult behaviors? The cult has potential members ______. (Select all that apply)

a. write death threats, and then write poetry

b. complete mindless rituals distracting them from counter-arguing

c. first visit the compound, then later move there

d. first give $200 dollars, then later give their life savings

c & d

Which of the following conditions might encourage coutnerargument?

a. low audience cognition

b. anticipating audience agreement

c. low audience involvement

d. anticipating audience disagreement

d - anticipating audience disagreement

What technique overall has the largest impact on persuasion?

personal contact

Persuasion decreases as the significance and familiarity of the issue _______.

a. decreases

b. normalizes

c. increases

d. remains the same

c - increases

When cult members first have new members over for dinner and then invite them to a weekend retreat, they are using what psychological concept?

foot-in-door

Which of the following are ways researchers have used persuasion in antismoking and drug education programs? (Select all that apply)

a. They have students make a public comment about their own reasons not to smoke

b. They use attractive peers to communicate information

c. They use only the peripheral route to persuade teenagers

d. They use inoculation procedures

a, b, & d

William McGuire's (1964) research supported the fact that mildly attacking a message can make it stronger. The idea is called attitude ______.

inoculation

Erin created an advertisement that used both a politically charged message and fast moving images. Erin is making use of ____ as a way of suppressing counterarguments.

Distraction

Which of the following study results prompted researchers to investigate the immunization of young children against the effects of television commercials? (Select all that apply)

a. Children understand the commercials are designed to persuade them

b. Children have trouble distinguishing commercials from programs and fail to grasp their persuasive intent

c. Children indiscriminately trust TV advertising

d. Children desire and badger their parents for advertised products

b, c, & d

Messages are best comprehended and recalled when _____.

written

Imagine you want your parents to give you $500. If you want to use the "foot-in-the-door" technique of persuasion, what should you do before asking them for the $500?

Ask them for a smaller amount of money first

Researchers find that in inner-city 7th graders who are able to think critically about commercial ads are also more likely to:

resist peer pressure

Stimulated thinking makes _____ messages _____ persuasive.

strong messages more persuasive

According to Daniel Gilbert and his colleagues, it is easier to accept a persuasive message than to ____ it.

doubt